A 10-run win over Kent Spitfires at Chelmsford on Friday night saw Eagles snatch fourth place in the south group on run rate and they will now take on Lancashire Lightning at Durham in the last eight on Wednesday.

And Bopara, who hit 47 off 27 balls as Essex made 189-6 and then nabbed 2-27 in Kent's reply, said: "That was easily the most incredible qualification of my career.

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"At halfway through we were nowhere and with the rain as well we thought 'no, we aren't qualifying'.

Ravi Bopara in bowling action for Essex during Essex Eagles vs Kent Spitfires, Vitality Blast T20 Cricket at The Cloudfm County Ground on 30th August 2019

"We've snuck in through the back door. We had a chance mathematically, but if we're being brutally honest there was no chance, really.

"In our minds, we were like - it's going to take ridiculous results to go our way.

"The fact that it happened is just unreal. I think guys just went 'look, it doesn't matter now, it doesn't matter now, let's just go out there and express ourselves, and go for it'.

"It's come off. Some of those games were close - it's amazing you can qualify by a width of a hair."

Warwickshire advanced to the brink of Division One safety after Essex were forced into a dogged rearguard action on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship Division One tussle at Edgbaston.